Hovering aircraft, be they helicopters, thrust-vectoring jets, “tail-sitters,” or other types, usually land by gently descending in free thrust-borne flight onto a landing surface and coming to rest on an undercarriage of wheels, skids, or legs. This elementary technique can be problematic in certain conditions, such as when targeting a small, windswept landing pad on a ship moving in a rough sea. The well-known Beartrap or Recovery Assist, Secure, and Traverse (RAST) system and the well-known harpoon-and-grid system are used by helicopters to permit retrieval with acceptable safety in such conditions. These systems require an expensive and substantial plant in the landing area, as well as manual operations coordinated between the helicopter and the shipboard crew. Furthermore, the helicopter must carry a complete undercarriage in addition to the components necessary for capturing the retrieval apparatus, adding size and weight to the helicopter.
Thus, there is a continuing need to provide improved apparatuses and methods for capturing hovering aircraft from free thrust-borne flight including: (a) simplified base apparatuses; (b) simplified apparatuses (if any) onboard the hovering aircraft; and (c) automated operation encompassing retrieval, subsequent servicing, and launch.